Hillary’s opening statement on Benghazi: “I take responsibility”

posted at 10:31 am on January 23, 2013 by Allahpundit

As was true the first time she issued a mea culpa over Benghazi, in no way will she accept actual responsibility for what happened replete with specifics about her own failings. That could damage her presidential prospects. A vacant buck-stops-here statement, by contrast, will enhance them because the American public likes when its politicians engage in pantomimes of leadership. She might not have taken any political risks to prevent the attack in Benghazi but, damn it, she’ll pretend to take one now by showily accepting the blame on television in full knowledge that there’s no political risk to her at all in doing so. That’s what real leaders do.

As I have said many times since September 11, I take responsibility. Nobody is more committed to getting this right. I am determined to leave the State Department and our country safer, stronger, and more secure.

Taking responsibility meant moving quickly in those first uncertain hours and days to respond to the immediate crisis and further protect our people and posts in high-threat areas across the region and the world. It meant launching an independent investigation to determine exactly what happened in Benghazi and to recommend steps for improvement. And it meant intensifying our efforts to combat terrorism and support emerging democracies in North Africa and beyond.

So you see, “taking responsibility” in this case is actually just a pretext to list all of the things she did right afterward, not to revisit her and her underlings’ shameful negligence (which, naturally, was without consequences) on Chris Stevens’s security despite many, many warnings from the embassy beforehand about how conditions were deteriorating in Benghazi. This isn’t unlike being asked during a job interview to name your biggest weakness and answering, “I try too hard.” And she won’t be called on this at today’s hearing; her old colleagues in the Senate are too chummy with her to press hard, which is why Susan Rice was bludgeoned for weeks while her boss endured nothing worse than some grumbling about her making sure to testify after she got out of the hospital. The only Republicans who might really challenge her are Rubio and Rand Paul, neither one of whom served with her and both of whom are no doubt eager to build goodwill among grassroots conservatives ahead of 2016 by taking on a Clinton for being weak on national security.

Anyway. She went on to say this, too: “Benghazi didn’t happen in a vacuum. The Arab revolutions have scrambled power dynamics and shattered security forces across the region. And instability in Mali has created an expanding safe haven for terrorists who look to extend their influence and plot further attacks of the kind we saw just last week in Algeria.” The NYT has an intriguing report this morning on just how expansive that new safe haven might be. Pay attention to it, because if America eventually gets dragged deeper into Mali — as the French hope — this may be one of the justifications The One eventually offers:

Several Egyptian members of the squad of militants that lay bloody siege to an Algerian gas complex last week also took part in the deadly attack on the United States Mission in Libya in September, a senior Algerian official said Tuesday.

The Egyptians involved in both attacks were killed by Algerian forces during the four-day ordeal that ended in the deaths of at least 38 hostages and 29 kidnappers, the official said. But three of the militants were captured alive, and one of them described the Egyptians’ role in both assaults under interrogation by the Algerian security services, the official said.

If confirmed, the link between two of the most brazen assaults in recent memory would reinforce the transborder character of the jihadist groups now striking across the Sahara…

But the Algerian official did not say why the captured kidnapper’s assertion — that some fighters had taken part in both the Benghazi and Algerian attacks — should be considered trustworthy. Nor did he say whether it was obtained under duress.

Smells fishy. The jihadis in custody have an incentive to claim responsibility for Benghazi — killing an American ambassador adds to their post-hostage-crisis “glory” — and the Algerians have an incentive to trumpet it because it buys them extra political cover in how they handled the crisis. But like I say, if the U.S. is drawn in further in north Africa, which may be happening as we speak, you’ll likely hear this floated as one reason why. And yes, that’s the height of irony given that the earlier U.S. intervention in Libya contributed to jihadis running loose with fresh new weapons across the region.

Exit question challenge: Name Hillary’s biggest achievement as Secretary of State. We’re going to hear a lot starting two years from now about how her diplomatic accomplishments are another big feather in her presidential cap. Which accomplishments, exactly? Per Michael Kinsley, flying lots and lots and lots of miles around the world doesn’t count.

Update: Via the Daily Caller, here’s Hillary in “What difference does it make?” mode, just in case you were under the mistaken impression that this hearing was about getting to the bottom of what happened.

Update: Read Tom Joscelyn on why there may be something to the Times report about Benghazi jihadis being involved in the Algerian hostage crisis. There’s no reason to believe that the Algerian attack was “local”; as acknowledged by Hillary herself, one very hard reality of post-Qadaffi north Africa is that borders aren’t much of an impediment to jihadis.

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Rand Paul has been impressing me a lot lately..and Hillary has lied so much in her life that she doesn’t even know what the truth is anymore..if their was justice in this administration she would be in jail, a long with Obama and Holder…most corrupt administration ever

On the original Hillary thread from this morning, chump has spent the past 5 or so hours desperately trying to avoid answering my very simple question from said thread. Namely, what “qualifications” Hillary had to be the junior Senator from New York, much less Secretary of State.

The first time I asked the question, he desperately changed the subject to Sarah Palin.

The second time I asked the question, he said “who cares?”

And the last time I asked the question, he simply refused to answer.

Which is situation normal among the Left, as I have been asking them that very same question since she first carpetbagged her way into office over a decade ago. None have been able to answer, and chump is just the latest suit to come up empty.

On the original Hillary thread from this morning, chump has spent the past 5 or so hours desperately trying to avoid answering my very simple question from said thread. Namely, what “qualifications” Hillary had to be the junior Senator from New York, much less Secretary of State.

The first time I asked the question, he desperately changed the subject to Sarah Palin.

The second time I asked the question, he said “who cares?”

And the last time I asked the question, he simply refused to answer.

Which is situation normal among the Left, as I have been asking them that very same question since she first carpetbagged her way into office over a decade ago. None have been able to answer, and chump is just the latest suit to come up empty.

Del Dolemonte on January 23, 2013 at 2:16 PM

This is the last time I’m changing your diapers, Dole.

Seriously? This is your gripe?

You tell me, what qualifications was she required to have to run for Senate from New York.

Don’t tell me what YOU think she needed, tell me what was required of her and whether she met the qualifications.

And then get some treatment for that bad case of anal-retentive syndrome you have.

Responsibility but not blame?
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As expected, more Clinton parsing of words and crocodile tears.
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Del Dolemonte on January 23, 2013 at 2:16 PM
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And Del,
BTW as a New Yorker(sigh)Hillary had no qualifications to be a Senator (yet alone S.O.S) She barely lived in NY to even qualify. She pushed out the long time Dem. and and expected candidate Nita Lowey (now Congresswomen) to run. You can consider her cut throat politics and level of veracity to be her qualifications.

Funny thing about you leftist trolls, you can’t put me down, you have to have me. In a little over a year that I have been here I have walked 12 plus to the door. I gave up troll hunting per a friends request. Someone I respect here. I won’t be making any exceptions. Not even for an easy target like you chump. Be assured you will walk. You and yours haven’t the discipline it takes not to get banned. But you keep right on trying to ignore me all the same. You won’t and can’t. You know I’m here and that I am generally correct. It maddens you as well it should. You are found wanting. Keep telling yourself you won something big and precious. I will keep telling you that you will ultimately lose. You know I’m right. It is driving you mad. ; )

You tell me, what qualifications was she required to have to run for Senate from New York.

Don’t tell me what YOU think she needed, tell me what was required of her and whether she met the qualifications.

And then get some treatment for that bad case of anal-retentive syndrome you have.

chumpThreads on January 23, 2013 at 10:43 AM

You don’t have to like my answer, but for pity’s sake stop kvetching!

chumpThreads on January 23, 2013 at 2:50 PM

1. Your “answer” is no such thing.

2. Thanks for admitting you still can’t tell us what “qualified” Hillary to become the Senator of a state she had never lived in. As I said, I’ve been asking this question of you Leftist drones for over 10 years now, and you’re the latest to refuse to answer it- because you know you can’t.

3. A reminder that Dear Leader got an alltime record percentage of the high school dropout vote to get re-elected. 83% in PA, 80% in CA, and 73% in NV. Funny how they all got fooled just like all of the O voters with advanced degrees, isn’t it? You must be so proud!

chump I assure you Del needs no help from me to make you look like a chump. Thought you were ignoring me. What happened?

Bmore on January 23, 2013 at 3:11 PM

lol, chump got mighty upset with yours truly last March, when I correctly pointed out that Dear Leader set an alltime record in 2008 with 70% of the high school dropout vote (he got many more of them in 2012).

To wit:

With all due respect (and by that I mean none) you are without question one of the most grasping, ignorant and least relevant people who comment here.

I think I put you on “ignore” previously, but I’m now cranking it up to “in perpetuity throughout the universe forever” ignore.

And please don’t respond. I want to ignore you just as you are.

chumpThreads on March 3, 2012 at 1:50 PM

Alinsky got his money worth with chump, all right! What a perfect little Nazi…

After seeing some bits of Hillary’s two “testimonies” today and the farcical conduct of members of both houses in those committees, I’ve pretty much lost any expectation the 113th Congress is going to get anything substantive done. They couldn’t even bring the heat to such a clear-cut case of malfeasance. For the most part letting Hillary get by with her bullshit blandishments and self-excusatory ‘I’ll try harder’.
Didn’t see anything about the ‘firings’ that weren’t.

We could begin by congratulating her on her march to Selma and noting her connection to the great mountaineer, Sir Edmund Hillary, on being a devoted wife to Bill, our first black president and her incredible ability and prescience in the pork bellies market.

We would ask if Benghazi State department records have been moved to the Rose Law firm offices yet.

Then we might wonder if James Carville would be a good choice to act as an independent investigator since Benghazi has become a bit politicized?

Then I would ask her what difference it would make if she were not Secretary of State.

I accept full responsibility but, uhmm, as a Democrat leader I will not accept the consequences of my decisions and actions; and the MSM will show you dumb-ass American citizen maggots how stupid you are for thinking otherwise.